Sunday, February 9, 2014

Honeycomb Legwarmers

Honeycomb Legwarmers

So I'm going to be honest, here; the main reason I knit these legwarmers in these yarns is because I had no idea what else to do with them. The accent yarn is a chunky acrylic-based variegated, which has not only a color change, but is also always two colors at any given time. And the main color yarn is mostly-white, but has occasional flecks of black. Long story short, I was worried that knitting either of them up plain would swallow the pattern. And, while I may be delusional, I think that the slipped stitch, ribbing pattern I've developed here shows off both yarns, while also creating a warm, lofty ribbing that's well suited to a legwarmer.

I even made two!

Sizes: I recommend sizing these close to the biggest part of your calf (it's your choice whether you'd like them to turn out tighter or looser). Therefore, I will give sizing instructions for a calf of roughly 12" (14", 16"), and you can scale up or down by roughly 2" by casting on more or less stitches in sets of 9. You can also change your needle gauge for more incremental variations in size.Yarn: Lana Gatto Bon Bon (56% Wool, 24% Acrylic, 20% Nylon; 126 yards [115 meters]/50 grams); #5589 White Grey - 2 skeins (color A) & Schachenmayr Original Boston Style (42% Acrylic, 39% Polyester, 19% Wool; 66 yards [60 meters]/50 grams); #599 Black - 2 skeins (color B)Needles: One set of double-pointed needles (dpns) in size 10.5

﻿﻿Notions: Tapestry needleGauge: 15 stitches = 4 inchesUsing color A, cast on 45 (54, 63) stitches and divide stitches as evenly as you can on 3 dpn while still retaining groups of 9 stitches. Join in round. And then we'll knit four set-up rows, like so:Set-up Rows 1 - 3: using color A, * p1, k7, p1; rep from *Set-up Row 4: using color B, * p1, k7, p1 *And then we'll get right to the pattern, which goes as follows:Row 1: using color B, * p1, k7, p1 *Rows 2 - 4: using color A, * p1, slip 1 with yarn in back, k5, slip 1 with yarn in back, p1 *Row 5: using color B, * p1, drop slipped stitch from needle, k2, pick up slipped stitch and knit it, k1, slip next two stitches to right-hand needle and drop slipped stitch from needle, slip two stitches back to left-hand needle and then pick up and knit slipped stitch, k2, p1 *Row 6: using color B, * p1, k7, p1 *Rows 7 - 9: using color A, * p1, k2, slip 1 with yarn in back, k1, slip 1 with yarn in back, k2, p1 *Row 10: using color B, * p1, slip next two stitches to right-hand needle and drop slipped stitch from needle, slip two stitches back to left-hand needle and then pick up and knit slipped stitch, k3, drop slipped stitch from needle, k2, pick up slipped stitch and knit it, p1 *Knit rows 1 - 10 seven times, and then knit row 1 one final time (so you'll have six full hexagons, and two halves). Clip the tail of color B, as you'll be finishing in color A now. Using color A, knit three more rows like set-up rows 1 - 3, and bind off loosely, knitting the knit stitches and purling the purls. Tuck in ends, and repeat process, if you'd like two legwarmers and not just one.

ALOHA!

And welcome to my blog, where I post a bunch of free knitting patterns! As for me, I'm the mother of three small boys with a TON of one- and two-ball stash yarn that I'm always trying to find creative ways to knit up. If you have any great ideas for what I should make next, feel free to email me at ballstothewallsknits @ gmail.com (except without the spaces). And in the meantime - thanks for visiting!

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